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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. WESER.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CASE.

1 No. 504,463. Patented Sept. 5, 1893.

Q3 INVENTO WITNESSES. I W 4 W 5* (No Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet 2f -J. A. WESER. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CASE.

No. 504,463. Patented Sept. 5,1893.

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$2 By his Attorneys,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. WESER, OF-NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL-INSTRUMENT CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,463, dated September 5, 1893.

Application filed November 10, 1892. Serial No. 451,535- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WESER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musicallnstrument Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cases for musical instruments, particularly for upright piano fortes.

Heretofore the cases for upright pianofortes have been constructed above the key-board with rigid sides, a removably mounted frontboard secured between said sides, a rigid topboard secured to said sides and covering the rear upper portion of the case, and a movable top cover covering the forward top portion of the case. The front-board has usually been constructed with a movable music desk, rack or leaf, which comprises either its middle panel or the several panels constituting the central portion of this board. Such music racks are of various constructions, of which that shown in my United States Letters Patout No. 484,481, dated October 18, 1892, is an example.

To open the movable top cover by the movement of the desk a loose connection, as a lever, has been interposed between these parts, being actuated by the desk and engaging the top cover.

In cases constructed as described the movable top cover has been hinged to the rigid top board or to the sides of the case or held in slideways in the case.

My present invention aims to provide an improved case for musical instruments in which the necessity for fastening the top cover to the case orthe top-board may be avoided, to provide an improved movable top-cover, and to provide improved means for conveniently manipulating it.

To this end in carrying out the preferred form of my invention, I construct the movable top cover independently of the case and the fixed top board and movable toward and from the latter to open or close the case, and I connect this movable top-board to be operated by the operation of the music rack, preferably accomplishing this by connecting it rigidly to the latter, and I provide certain other features of improvement which will be herein after fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one and the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a fragmentary Vertical cross section of the upper portion of an upright piano-forte case constructed according to my invention, the parts being in the closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the parts being in the open position, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, showing the rear'side of the front board in elevation, the parts being broken out centrally to shorten the figure.

Referring to the drawings I will now describe the preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to an upright piano-forte case of the style illustrated.

Let A designate in general the front upper part of a piano case, B B the rigid side-boards thereof, 0 the rigid top-board thereof, D the movable top cover board thereof, E the removable front-board, and F the movable music rack.

The case A may be of any suitable con- I struction. In that shown its side-boards B extend slightly in front of the removable front-board E, the top edge of the side-boards being flush with the top edge of the frontboard, and the fixed top'board 0 being suitably secured on the top edges of the sideboards with its forward edge terminating some distance to the rear of the front of the case.

The removable front-board E may be of any suitable construction. That shown consists of a rectangular frame fitting snugly within the side walls B, and held in position by bolts a a at its opposite upper edges, having a central opening G, constructed with.

grooves H H in its upper rear face, having a top molding I traversing its upper front face flush with the top of the side boards B and having a rabbet or shoulder Z; on its inner upper portion.

The music rack F may be of any suitable construction. That shown is constructed in accordance with my said Patent No. 484,481, and has a width sufficient to snugly fit the opening G in the front-board E,being divided by moldings J J into three panels K K K, and

having border moldings J at its sides and a bottom bar L at its lower edge. As usual it consists of vertical boards constituting the panels K, mounted between the moldings J, and extending from the bottom bar L upwardly to a sufiicient height to close the opening G when the rack is in the open position, as shown in Fig. 2, where 6 indicates the top edge of the board 0 and f indicates the top of the opening G. The moldings J J project slightly in front and also at rear of the boards 0, and are of corresponding length. The front sides of these moldings enter and move in the grooves 11 in the rear face of the frontboard E, as heretofore. The usual rollers (Z, mounted in brackets 9 carried on the frontboard E, engage the rear faces of the bars J at opposite sides of the rackF, to guide it in its movement.

The usual link is provided at the lower part of the rack. In the construction shown this consists of a wooden strip M secured to the back of the rack and asimilarstripN hinged to said strip M by hinges h at its top edge and at its bottom edge to the cross-bard of the front-board E by hinges j. By this construction the rack is firmly supported and connected to the front-board in such manner that it can be swung on its link connection therewith into vertical position within the front-board, as seen in Fig. 1 or into angular position projecting forwardly therefrom as seen in Fig. 2.

Any suitable means for controlling the rack may be adopted. I prefer to use the spring 0, fastened at one end by a bracket P to the rear face of the front board E, extending downwardly at rear of the rack, engaging ,a pulley Q carried by a bracket R fixed to the rearstrip M of the rack, and acting byits tension against this roller Q to resist movement of the rack as usual. Preferably the spring 0 is constructed with a hooked end 70 disposed to embrace the roller Q at the desired limit of opening of the rack and thereby act as a stop to prevent further opening movement, as seen in Fig. 2. Preferably the springs O O and their corresponding parts are duplicated when a wide rack of the character shown is employed.

According to my invention the movable topcover D is rigidly connected to, and operated by the operation of the rack F, is not connected to the case, and is independent of the fixed top-board C and constructed to move bodily away therefrom and into the case when shifted to the open position. I prefer to utilize the construction shown in the drawings for this purpose, wherein the movable topboard D is independent of all parts of the case except the music rack F, and is rigidly connected to the latter in the construction shown by one or more brackets S, fastened to the under side of the board D and extending thence downwardly and suitably secured to the music rack F. In the construction shown these bracketsS are fastened to the rear faces of the two moldings J J of the rack. In the construction shown an aperture T exists in the case between the front edge of the topboard 0 and the rear face of the front-board E. Preferably the movable top-cover D is constructed to completely close this aperture when in the closed position and to move sufficiently away therefrom to permit a free passage thereto when in the open position. Preferably the board D is constructed beneath the board 0 and constructed at its front edge Zto fit within the rabbet b and at its rear edge m to fit against the beveled or reduced under side of the front edge or of the top-board 0, when in the closed position, and when in the open position to rest within the casing between the rear side of the removable front board E and the internal mechanism of the instrument, the forward outline of which is indicated in Fig. 2 by the dotted line 13. When this is accomplished by rigidly connecting the music desk and movable top-cover as shown, and the desk is mounted according to the construction illustrated, the line of movement of the points I and m of the top-cover D and of the top edge e of the rack will respectively correspond substantially to the dotted lines q 0' and 03 shown in Fig. 2.

My invention also comprises means for counterbalancing or in part sustaining the weight of the movable top-board, and likewise of the rack F when the latter is rigidly connected thereto, to the end that the operator will not have to overcome the weight of these parts in operating the device. This may be variously accomplished, but I prefer to accomplish it by the construction shown, wherein the springs O O and their respective rollers Q Q are constructed and disposed so that the tension of the spring is exerted upwardly as well as inwardly against the roller, the upward tension being sufficient to balance the weight of the parts, while the inward tension is sufiicient to maintain them in their respective positions. By this provision it is only necessary to overcome the inertia of the parts in operation.

In operating my invention when the case is to be closed the operator will grasp the bottom bar L of the rackF and by a slight inward and upper pressure thereon, move the rack to the closed position seen in Fig. 1, and simultaneously thereby move the movable top-board D into position to close the aperture T. To open the case the operator will exert a slight downward and forward pull on the bar L of the rack, whereupon the latter will move downwardly and outwardly, carrying the movable top-board D down within the easily operated to open or close the case by the one act of opening or closing the music rack.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the particularconstruction and operation set forth and shown as its preferred form, as it may be availed of in such modified form as experience or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate without departing from its essential features.

Whatlclaimis,in musical-instrumentcases, the following-deli ned novel features and combinations, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, namely:

1. In a musical instrument case, the fixed side walls, in combination with a movable music rack carried by the case, and a movable top cover for closing the top of the case, said cover disconnected from the case and rigidly connected to. said rack, whereby said cover follows said rack when the latter is moved to the open or closed positions, and thereby opens or closes the top of the case, substantially as set forth.

2 5 2. In a musical instrument case, the case A, in combination with a movable music rack, as F, carried thereby, and a cover, as D, closing said case, and brackets, as S, fixed to said rack and cover and rigidly connecting them 0 together, whereby said cover moves with said rack to open and close the case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a musical instrument case, the rigid side boards B,in combination with afixed top board 0, closing a portion of the top of the 3 5 case, and having a reduced front edge 01, a front board E, and movable top cover D for closing the top of the case between said top board and said front board, and fitting at its rear edge said reduced edge 01 of said top 4c board when in the closed position, and entering within the interior of the case when in the open position, and a movable music rack carried by said front board and connected to said cover to move the latter to the open position as it is moved out, and to the closed position as it is moved in, whereby when in the closed position said cover is substantially flush with said top board, substantially as set forth.

4. In a musical instrument case, the case A, in combination with a movable rack F, and a board D rigidly connected thereto, movable therewith and constructed when said rack is in the open position to open the case and when said rack is in the closed position to close the case, and a spring as O constructed to exert a counterbalancing tension against said rack, whereby the weight of the latter and said board are sustained by said spring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. WESER. Witnesses:

GEORGE I-I. FRASER, FRANCIS H. PEATY. 

